quiche

¹ American  

[keesh] / kiʃ /

noun

1. a pielike dish consisting of an unsweetened pastry shell filled with a custard and usually containing cheese and other ingredients, as vegetables, seafood, or ham.

   spinach quiche.

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Quiché ² American  

[kee-chey] / kiˈtʃeɪ /

noun

1. a Mayan language of Guatemala.

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quiche British  

/ kiːʃ /

noun

1. an open savoury tart with a rich custard filling to which bacon, onion, cheese, etc, are added

   quiche Lorraine

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Etymology

Origin of quiche

1945–50; < French < German (dial.) Küche, diminutive of Küchen cake

Explanation

A quiche is a savory, egg-based dish that's cooked in pastry like a tart or a pie. You might enjoy eating quiche for brunch at your favorite cafe. You could describe a quiche as an omelet (or a non-sweet custard) that's baked inside a pie crust. Eggs are essential for making a quiche, often mixed with cheese, vegetables, seafood, or meat. Quiche is a French word that first appeared in English in the mid-20th century and became very popular around 1970. It comes from the German Kuchen, or "cake."

Example Sentences

There is a custom-made warmer for meals, with beef brisket and veggie quiche on the menu.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Typically a svelte 75-minute show, on the night I saw the production it swelled to about two hours, allowing time for drinks, mingling and, of course, the eating of a quiche.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

The food we see being made includes different types of pasta, focaccia, frittata, Korean fried chicken, quiche and doughnuts.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2025

A half-mile northeast of that is Wild Rye Bakery, with a dozen Italian and French breads and pastries including focaccia, baguettes and lunch offerings such as quiche and ham-cheese croissants.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 24, 2024

He tossed his empty plate into the garbage can and went off in search of a drink, leaving Moody alone with the last few bites of his quiche, now gone cold.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng